Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a cup, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a spill resistant transition cup.
Description of the Related Art
The transition from baby bottles to drinking from a regular cup is difficult for children. The mechanism of drinking is different, and a cup must be held more carefully than a baby bottle to prevent spills. Many children stop drinking from baby bottles before they have the dexterity necessary to drink from a cup without spilling its contents. One common solution is the sippy cup. A sippy cup typically has a lid with a spout and a valve, through which the contents of the cup may be drunk. The valve helps prevent spills should the sippy cup tip over.
The valve forces a user to suck on the spout, making the mechanism of drinking from a sippy cup similar to that of drinking from a baby bottle. The sucking process can also cause excruciating inner ear pain in children that are experiencing sinus congestion and/or infections. The valve is often made of silicone or a similar substance that must be separately washed. Washing a valve may be quite difficult due to its shape, and thus sippy cup valves are frequently less than ideally clean and often require regular replacement. Constantly sucking on sippy cup spouts may adversely affect the development of a child's teeth and mouth. Similarly, chewing on a sippy cup spout, as often happens, may not be healthy for the child. The use of a sippy cup may also discourage a child from learning how to properly drink from a regular cup, as the sippy cup may be held at any angle while drinking without spilling.
Other populations would likewise benefit from a cup that is spill resistant, such as the elderly and those with dexterity issues.
Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to provide an alternative to the sippy cup that provides a proper transition from a baby bottle to a standard drinking cup.
It is further desirable to provide a cup that simulates the feeling of drinking from a regular cup while providing some spill resistance.
It is further desirable to provide a spill resistant cup that does not have a valve.
It is further desirable to provide a spill resistant cup that encourages children to learn how to hold a cup properly while drinking from it to prevent spills.